Celandines
by aradian nights
Summary: Connected oneshots flipping between the present and five years previous. After leaving Shibuya for years, Rhyme returns and is forced to see the truth about what separated the Hachiko group from each other. The truth was, it wasn't just Joshua. For Angie.
1. Snowdrop

The rush of nonsensical chatter filled her ears as she moved forward, her body trying to adjust to squeezing into the bustling crowds. She couldn't believe how strange it was to be back in such a high populated area. She had become accustomed to calm old streets, and the soft murmur of voices, and gentle thrum of distant music. But here was different, with everything new and shiny like silver bobbles, and voices drummed in a cacophony, and music settled into her brain as if it were naturally wired there. She'd taken to riding a scooter while away, but now that she looked upon the tightly compacted streets, she wondered if she'd ever be able to ride here. Of course it had been incredibly dangerous, even in Europe, and it had taken nearly three months of pestering from her daring roommate to get her onto the rental motor scooter. It had been terrifying. She recalled comparing it to being on a sharply turning rollercoaster without a safety belt.

She never told Beat that she rode a scooter around Europe, though. It was against _her_ better judgment to get into riding the thing, so she couldn't imagine how Beat would react. She decided she'd tuck that little fact into the secret Europe notes filed in her head. No one would know about them but her and her foreign friends. She smiled to herself as she stepped onto the Scramble, her heart jerking at the familiar sights and sounds of Shibuya. She'd been dreadfully homesick, though some days she forgot what it was like to walk through the packed streets of Tokyo.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and frowned at the lack of buzzing. It was noon. Beat should have texted her by now. She quickly flushed and tucked her phone back into her pocket. Of course Beat hadn't tried to message her. It was five in the morning, her time. He stopped texting her at that hour back in the early days when she had been traveling Germany.

Rhyme adjusted her duffle bag and hugged her suit case close to her. She realized she must've looked like such a tourist with the surplus of baggage (though she knew she traveled quite light, considering how long she'd been gone). She sighed and glanced around her. Kids were all around, babbling on cell phones, chatting amiably about summer. Rhyme smiled and recalled the last time she'd done something similar. It felt like so long ago, and she suddenly felt awful that she'd left Shibuya.

But it wasn't like there had been anyone else to meet her at Hachiko. Everyone was gone by the time she graduated, which made her curse over and over being the youngest of the group.

Now she stood by the statue, memories flooding back with every breath she took of Shibuya air. It was exactly as she remembered it, gorgeous dark stone carved into the gentle features of the old dog. She took a few steps forward and stopped directly in front of it. She set her suitcase down and looked up at the statue that she had always adored, even before the incidents leading to Hachiko becoming the meeting spot. It was not like the statues she'd seen on her trips, like, for instance, the vestal virgins' statues in Rome. The dog was not old and crumbling, like most of the wonders she saw were. It was strong, and steady, and so wonderful…

Rhyme stepped forward, raising her hand and gently patting Hachiko's snout. A rush of warmth spread throughout her body, and she felt herself smiling. Memories flooded back to her, tickling her senses with lasting impressions. How crisp the air smelled one particular fall day, and the taste of a storm buzzing inside her mouth, and the dreadful cold of winter days when she had to wait at Hachiko without a jacket in her old school uniform. Rhyme sucked in the thick, acrid summer air, tasting the tang of rain on the way, and smelling the moisture around her. It wasn't like it had been in Europe, of course. In Europe the bitter smell of dampness tended to overpower everything else.

Unless, of course, Rhyme mused, she happened to be passing by pizza shop.

Rhyme stood back and snapped herself back into reality. The bustle of humans around her made her a little self conscious, but no one seemed to care about the tiny blonde petting Hachiko. Rhyme quickly grabbed her suitcase and looked up at Hachiko. She needed to figure out where Beat was. She hoped he was at his apartment, because trying to find him elsewhere in the massive city was a disaster waiting to happen.

As Rhyme examined Hachiko closer, she noticed a pile of buttons lying beside Hachiko's paw. She leaned closer, and noted that the ones at the bottom of the pile were much dirtier than those at the top, as if they'd been there for weeks.

Rhyme shook her head and turned around. She was getting herself too distracted! She needed to find Beat. She started forward into the street, glancing up at the sky. She smiled a little as she caught sight of the long expanse of tumbling gray flitting over the sunlight. It was indeed going to rain soon. Best off, then, to find Beat, and celebrate her being home for the first time in three years. She smiled and thought of all the dishes she'd learned to make while living in her apartment in Florence, her stomach growling at the thought of eggplant rollatini stuffed with ricotta cheese—

"Hey, over here!"

Rhyme spun around, her ponytail whipping around and slapping her in the face as her eyes darted around the crowds, her heart beat increasing as her mind tried to figure out why she was getting so excited. She stood beside Hachiko, her eyes wide and wondering as she tried to pick out where the voice had shouted from.

She slumped and turned around. There was no one there. She must have imagined hearing that voice.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. So, no idea if this story will ever be finished, Angie-la, but first thing's first. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I love you, my dear~!<strong>

**Okay, next! Info! That's why this is in bold.**

**Basically? Rhyme has been in Florence, Italy for around two years, and she travelled most of Europe the year before. She just decided to stay in Florence and study. Wanna know why? Cause I remember Florence the most, and that's where my sister studied in 2009, so I kinda just... felt obligated to. Anyway, pizza usually overpowers every smell like... ever. Unless it's totally nasty. But I can smell my pizza place from a block away, so it happens.**

**Also, the end... I haven't written an explanation yet, but I plan to. Eventually. Anyway, continue reading. Be warned, the chapters are not in order with the timeline. There are chapters that happen in the past, five years before this chapter, and in the future, a month or two after this. *Shrug* Good luck trying to get it.**


	2. Mint

"I'm not exactly sure what you're saying," Rhyme said slowly, setting her cup down. Her English textbook was open on the table, and he was examining the page with slight interest.

"Well," he said, pulling the book toward him and snatching her notebook from her hand. "I'm just curious. You do love history." He scrawled something into her notebook, idly glancing from the page in the textbook back to the notebook. Rhyme sighed and pulled her hair out from the messy bun she had created when she'd started her homework earlier that afternoon. She knew he'd end up finishing it for her just so he could get her full attention. He's done it enough times for her to know that she couldn't win against him. If he wanted to do her homework, fine. She'd just redo it when she got home anyway.

"Yes, I adore History," Rhyme said with another sigh. "And English, and Art, and Anatomy. But what does that matter?"

"You take _anatomy_?" His eyebrows raised slightly, though his expression remained unchanged. He continued to work at her book, though now he seemed barely interested in looking at it. Rhyme wondered if he was even writing the correct answers. "Have you dissected anything yet?"

Rhyme frowned, noting how amused his voice sounded. "Yes." She nodded. "I dissected a cat last month."

He tilted his head, a smirk rising onto his lips. "That didn't disgust you? Prodding through the organs of a dead cat?"

Rhyme blinked quickly, and leaned back. She gave the boy a long look, her eyes trailing his features as if trying to find a crack in their design. "What is it that you want, exactly, Joshua?" Rhyme asked, her head high.

Joshua's eyebrows furrowed and he set down the pen he'd been working with. "I honestly don't understand what it is with you people," he sighed, tucking a piece of hair behind his ears. "Not everything I do has an ulterior motive, my dear. Is it so hard to believe that I like to sit here and talk to you about you?"

"Yes," Rhyme said shortly, pulling her cup of coffee toward her. "I think you're very nice, but I don't believe you're here talking to me just because you want to know more about me."

Joshua giggled and leaned forward over Rhyme's homework. "I confess!" He smirked, standing up. "I adore your company. It's like being around a very smart puppy."

Rhyme sighed again and tucked her hair behind her ears. She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. But still, having Joshua around was interesting, and she enjoyed speaking to him for the most part. He was awfully strange, she had to admit, but he was incredibly smart, so she found herself always getting into long intellectual chats with him. She stood up and gathered her books, ignoring Joshua's now puzzled look.

"Come now," Joshua said, a frown pulling at his lips. "You aren't leaving, are you?"

"Beat will be home from detention soon," Rhyme said, glancing at her phone. This was true, in fact, but she actually really just wanted to go home. She felt bad that she was trying to get away from Joshua, but… he was being too strange. Rhyme didn't trust him.

"That's a shame," Joshua sighed, observing her pile her books into her bag. "I only wanted to know how you tended to extracting a poor kitty's viscera without getting sick. I mean, _I _wouldn't want to cut a cat open just to look at its innards."

"I…" Rhyme stopped as she went to pick up her coffee. She tilted her head up and frowned deeply. "I guess I just have a strong stomach? I'm not sure. It never really bothered me, not even the smell."

"You're a trooper."

Rhyme hummed softly and rubbed her eyes. She was tired, and her throat hurt. She hoped it was just a small cold, or else she might have to miss school, which would be dreadful. The thought of all the work she'd have to do made her shudder. "It was really nice speaking with you, Joshua." Rhyme smiled, setting down the change for her coffee onto the table.

"Oh, dear, you don't have to pay for that," Joshua laughed, scooping up the change and holding it out to her. "Mr. H is a kind fellow, you know. He hates charging all of you."

"Um," Rhyme laughed uncertainly, "no, thanks. I would really rather pay."

Joshua stared at her, his purple tinted eyes glowing with curiosity. He lowered his hand and smirked again. "If you insist," he said, setting the change back onto the table. Rhyme smiled gratefully and turned away toward the door.

"Are you taking the subway home, Raimu?"

Rhyme froze, her fingers inches from the door's handle. She looked back at him, still smiling slightly. "Rhyme," she said gently. She then nodded. "Yes, I am. Why?"

Joshua shrugged and plopped back down into his seat. "Just be careful, then. Wouldn't want anything nasty happening to one of my dear, dear friends, would I?"

Rhyme stared at Joshua, her eyes widening. He considered her a friend? Did he honestly, or was he joking, or lying? Joshua smirked at the obvious confliction in her expression, and he sighed, shaking his head.

"I've decided, of course, that I could have much worse allies than you raggedy team of misfits. At least you've got your skills spread out. Wit, Reason, Brawn, Heart." Joshua winked. "It's almost like I chose all of you myself!"

"Wit, reason…" she murmured, leaning back against the door. "I understand brawn and heart, of course. But wit and reason would fall under one category. Brain."

"In which both you and Neku have," Joshua giggled again, resting his chin in his palm. "But he's much wittier than you. So I've decided he's the wit of your little group, while you're the reason."

"That's very odd, Joshua."

"I suppose, in your eyes, everything I do seems strange…"

* * *

><p><strong>Set in the past, probably five and a half years earlier than the previous chapter. I'm posting these in the order I wrote them, so beware.<strong>

**They all have a connection, and for the most part there's a reason why I wrote each of them. This one serves mostly as foreshadowing, though I didn't do it very well.**

**It'd probably be smart to mention the chapters are named after flowers. In flower language. I don't know how great my source is, so I'm not telling the meanings.**

**Onto the next.**


	3. Asphodel

She looked disheveled, and confused, her dark eyes widening as she stared at him. Wind whipped her hair and skirt around, playing with them carelessly and dropping them as when the wind ceased suddenly. It started up again soon after and continued to tussle her appearance. She took a deep breath and shook her head, pulling her arms to her chest. It was a very cool autumn afternoon, and the scent of dead leaves and rain hung in the air with a damp, acrid taste. It was not sunny at all, and the great expanse of gray clouds stretched far up above into endlessness. She shuddered as another gust of wind pushed at her, beckoning her forward. She did not move.

"Please just tell me what's going on," she begged, pushing her hair back against to wind in hopes to keep it still. He simply stared at her, his eyes narrowing.

"I told you already," he said, his voice slicing through the cool air like a scythe, and she flinched. "Nothing's going on."

"I know you're lying," she murmured. She took a deep breath and gave him a long, hard look, as if to scold him. "Please tell me, Neku! You know you can tell me anything!"

"Nothing's going on!" he growled, spinning on his heel and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Why won't you listen to me?"

"Because I know you." She sighed, and she moved forward and grabbed him by the wrist to keep him from moving forward. "Stop doing this…" she whispered, staring at her shoes as the wind whistled a shrill tune in her ears. He did not look back at her and he did not move forward. He simply listened, and she hoped it was because he felt a little sorry for putting her through this.

"Stop doing what?" he snapped, glaring down at her. She jumped, feeling her heart wrench inside her chest, filling her with a cool trickle of fear. She swallowed hard and shook her head. He wouldn't hurt her.

"Stop pushing me away!" She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, trying to force him to recognize the desperation she was feeling. His expression did not change. "Neku, you have to tell me what you're thinking. It's been almost two years since the Reaper's Game! You need to let me in!"

"Shiki." His eyes were no longer blazing with the heat of his glare, and she relaxed a little. He still looked irritated, though, which made her worry she had struck a nerve. "Shiki, this isn't about you, so drop it."

"So there is something going on!" she cried, feeling triumphant. He rolled his eyes, and she cringed. "Um, I know you don't want to tell me…" she breathed, squeezing his hand tighter, fear clenching her chest tightly. "But I… I have to know, Neku. Is it about Joshua?"

"_No_." Neku spun around, his teeth bared and clenched. "It's got nothing to do with Joshua, Shiki. Now _drop it_."

"You're lying again!" Shiki gasped, her wrist twisting as he pulled his arm back.

"No, I'm not!" He stepped back, and Shiki stepped forward, and they stood like this for awhile before Neku tore his hand from her grasp and shouted bitterly at her, "This is none of your business! Just leave me alone!"

"I'm scared, Neku!" Shiki blurted out, her throat tightening suddenly, as if a fist as enclosed itself around it. She wrapped her arms around herself, the wind smacking against her bare knees, and whipping against her cheeks, leaving her feeling numb and disoriented. "I don't trust Joshua like you do! He's… he hasn't been around lately, and whenever I do see him, he always stares at you like…" She trailed off her voice catching in her throat as she dropped deeper into her abrupt despair.

"Like?" Neku snorted, shaking his head. "He's my friend, Shiki. I know it's weird, but I trust him."

"I know!" she cried, flinging her hands into the air. "I know you trust him, you can't help that! But I'm scared he might do something. All he does is manipulate people into doing what he thinks is best, and usually his plans aren't exactly the greatest ideas! What if you get hurt, or—" Shiki bit her tongue and shook her head furiously. The gray sky rolled overhead, and it rumbled softly from miles away.

"Shiki," Neku said, his voice quiet now. He stared at the side walk and sighed. Not many people cared about the two teenager's quarrel, for they were too busy bustling about the streets to spare them a glance. It was rush hour, after all.

"Just tell me what's going on…" she whispered, pulling off her glasses as a few droplets of rain plopped onto the lenses.

He was silent for an eternity, his eyes letting nothing slip, and she felt lost suddenly, as if she would drift off into nothingness if he didn't reply. She tucked her glasses back onto her face, watching as his features became sharper. He'd pulled down his collar low enough for her to see his chin, and he looked at her without a spark of emotion in his expression. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She listened as the distant roar of thunder got a little louder, and her heart began to race as she tried to understand what was happening. Neku was off today, and she couldn't place why.

"I swear it'll be alright, Shiki," Neku said steadily, giving her a little nod. "But I have to go now."

"Where?"

Neku sighed and gave her a look. She glanced at the ground and coughed a little. "Uh," she said, giving a short laugh. "Alright. Um, I guess I'll just see you tomorrow then? Usual place."

He blinked slowly, his blue eyes widening a little. Shiki peered at him curiously, begging he wasn't angry with her. But then he nodded, a very tiny smile appearing on his lips, and this made her beam at him with an ecstatic sort of happiness.

"See you then," he said softly, spinning on his heel once more and walking slowly down the street. He immediately disappeared in the crowd, and Shiki was left with less concern than she had when she had confronted him earlier. With a weight lifted a little off her chest, she started home, thinking about how she'd apologize to Neku tomorrow for being so nosy.

Unfortunately, she never got the chance.

* * *

><p><strong>I had two chapters before this, but they did not fit in with the story as they did when I wrote them. I changed stuff in the plot that made them pointless.<strong>

**Um, so, five years before the first chapter. First one featuring Neku and Shiki as well! One of the chapters I had to get rid of had Shiki. Maybe I'll take the idea and put it into a chapter that would fit better with this story. If I ever finish it. Hopefully I will.**

**I think you can make an assumption about what's going on from the imformation I'm giving you from these chapters, right? Hell, at the end of these chapters, send a review with a summary of the story based off of what you actually know, because I have no idea how clear any of this is. I wrote it, and I know what's going on. You don't. XD Sorry!**

**Onto the next!**


	4. Daffodil

Rhyme hummed to herself as she moved about the jammed streets of Shibuya, her hands in her pocket. She was very proud of herself for finding a job (even if it was a little temporary), and she planned to treat herself to some ice cream as reward. She managed to grab her ice cream and find a place to sit and watch as the crowds bustled by, the music, and voices, and car horns pulling her into a deep reverie of days before when she had no idea how crazy the other side of Shibuya really was.

She nibbled on the tip of her cold, sugary treat, her blue eyes darting around, catching sight of familiar teenagers stalking about. She wondered if any of them had been at her school. They had to have been lower classman when she had been there. She looked down at her ice cream, the revelation that she was twenty years old hitting her like a brick. Five years ago everything had gone down hill. Five years later, her life… the lives of everyone in her life were severed.

One person gone made a huge difference.

Suddenly she felt someone next to her. This troubled Rhyme, but she did not look. It was impolite to stare, and the person had only just sat down. So she continued her ice cream, staring off into the abyss of people swarming the streets. It was nearly lunch time, which explained the business. Rhyme lifted her ice cream to her mouth, before it slipped through her fingers and fell to the pavement, cracking like an egg and spilling the cold vanilla cream into a swirly heap.

She did not look at him. She couldn't, or she wouldn't. It didn't matter. She simply didn't. She felt her heart begin to race, her mind running with it, images of an old obituary zooming into her mind's eye. Then the funeral, that was so pitiful she'd felt almost angry that so few appeared to pay their respects. Then she saw Shiki's face, tear streaked and furious, her screams echoing in Rhyme's memory.

Then his face. His smug, amused, arrogant face, glowing with an awful sort of glee as he let the girl shout her frustrations at him, and accuse him of something he could never deny.

That was the last time she saw that face, and she did not want to see it again.

She stood up and stepped forward, only to be stopped by an entertained giggle. "Not even a hello?"

She stiffened. She had not even thought about him since she had come back to Shibuya. How did he find her? More importantly, what did he want with her? She sighed and turned around, giving a small smile as she met his face. He looked as if he had not aged a day. She supposed he could control his appearance if he wished it.

He could do anything, she supposed, if he wished it.

"Hello, Joshua," she said pleasantly. She gave him a tiny nod. "You look well."

"Do I?" He gave a signature smirk, a soft laugh ringing in the air around them. Rhyme glanced around, wondering if anyone noticed the boy was out of the ordinary. It was stupid to think so, but she was curious.

"Yes." Rhyme nodded again, this time with more assurance. "So… may I ask what you are doing here, exactly?"

His strange purple eyes flashed with something like hurt, which as so obviously fake, Rhyme smiled a little. "Can I not visit an old friend who has been out of the country for years?" he asked, looking appalled. Rhyme smiled wider, and shook her head.

"We aren't friends, Joshua," she said with a gentle touch to her voice, as if she were trying to comfort him.

"Oh? I thought we were."

"I'm sorry," Rhyme sighed. She folded her arms across her chest and looked up at the 104 Building. "But… honestly, Joshua, if you really cared about being friends with me, you would've contacted me after—" She choked herself short, and coughed a bit. "Um, you know."

"After my fight with poor Shiki?" Joshua tilted his head and frowned. "Oh, dear, I think you're forgetting. You told me you hated me. Which I never believed, of course. My actions called for rebuking, and I understand that. You had to say something."

"I suppose," Rhyme muttered. She took a deep breath and shrugged. "Either way, though," she said darkly, finally staring Joshua in the eye. "I don't forgive you. I won't. We are not friends, Joshua. I'm sorry, but I can't forget what happened five years ago."

"I'm not asking you to." He looked honestly surprised, as if he didn't expect her to act like he was the villain in everything. She wondered what Beat would say if he saw her talking to him. "I simply wanted to see how much you'd changed. I've observed that five years does that to a person."

She stared at him, and for a moment all the noise around her was gone. Then she giggled and shook her head. "Oh, you're joking, right?"

He smirked, his head cocking slightly to the side. "Certainly I couldn't be serious," he said, his eyes glittering like amethysts. Rhyme dragged her eyes away from his, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Beat had always called the boy's purple eyes unnatural, but Rhyme had always thought they were the most interesting physical feature she'd ever seen. How could they not be?

She sighed and sat down beside him again. He did not look surprised, and she did not expect him to be. She stared up at him, her eyebrows furrowed, and her jaw set. "Can I ask you something, Joshua?"

He peered at her curiously, his smirk growing into something a little more frightening. "You may, though I can't promise I'll answer truthfully."

Rhyme stared at him more, her eyes narrowing a bit. "That's fine," she said softly. "As long as I get an answer, I suppose."

"I suppose." He sounded very amused.

"Alright," she breathed, sitting up straight. "Why did you do it? And don't give me the crap you told us last time."

This got Joshua to freeze, his smirk sliding from his face. He blinked and stared at her thoughtfully, his fingers winding around his chin as if to help him think clearer. "I don't think the answer 'I wanted to' would suffice?" he asked, his tone suggesting playfulness. Rhyme scowled.

"Not unless you want me to tell Beat you came to talk to me," she said in a low tone.

"Ouch." Joshua sighed. "That's cruel, dear. Hmm…" He tapped his chin, and he frowned. "Would you believe me if I said he asked me to?"

"No." Rhyme frowned as well, her eyebrows furrowing. Her eyes widened. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Certainly I couldn't be serious."

Rhyme stared at him as he stood up, flipping his phone out of his pocket and examining it. She wasn't sure she trusted Joshua's answers at all, and she felt much more confused than when she had originally asked the question. She sucked in as much summer air as possible, trying to keep her mind from buzzing out of control. Joshua let out a loud, exaggerated sigh.

"Well, my dear," he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "I'm very late for some business. So it's safe to say I must take my leave."

Rhyme blinked and looked up at him. "Oh!" she gasped, nodding. "Oh, yeah. Alright. Um…"She stood up, jumping over the spilled ice cream, and smiled at him. "Thank you for answering my question, Joshua. Even though I'm not sure if what you said is the truth."

"Maybe you should ask Neku?" Joshua asked innocently.

Rhyme stared at him. He smirked back and turned away from her, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Wait…" she whispered. She began to run after him, her eyes widening. "Wait, Joshua, stop!"

But he'd vanished from sight, his silhouette fading rapidly into obscurity, and it was as if he'd never appeared at all. Rhyme stared at the spot where he had disappeared, and she bit her lip hard, raising her hands to her head as if she were afraid it would roll off.

"I can't ask Neku if I can't see him!" she cried to no one, squeezing her eyes shut. A few people did manage to spare her a glance, but their eyes averted immediately.

* * *

><p><strong>This one takes place around... a week or two after the first chapter. You'll notice they're all pretty short by my standards, but I didn't want to write long chapters for this. All of them are basically 1,000 words except for the one I gave you a preview for, which happens much later in the story than a lot of the other chapters.<strong>

**I'm debating putting it up or not. If I do, it's going last.**


	5. Lilacs

The room was dark, a solitary dim light gleaming from Shiki's television. The five teenagers were all engrossed in the horrors on screen, each for a different reason. Rhyme was interested in the storyline, though she knew none of it made any sense at all. Beat was just simply into the frightening aspects, the jolting sharpness that came with every jerk of the demonic character. Joshua was intrigued by the characters' reactions, and he voiced his disappointment openly and loudly whenever a character did something dumb. Which is to say, mostly every scene. Neku was enjoying the stupidity of the plot, and chuckling softly to himself whenever someone trapped themselves in a situation that meant their imminent demise. And Shiki…

Well, Shiki was utterly terrified.

She did not speak, or make any noise, though if one glanced at her face they'd be able to tell how frightened she was. She was ghostly pale, her lips pressed together tightly, and her eyes as wide as they could go, sharp and darting across the screen, never faltering. She didn't want to close her eyes, because that stupid face kept on appearing on the inside of her eyelids, as if burned there. She'd flinch at every moment of suspense, and grip the edge of her shirt tightly when silence stretched over the room. Her heart couldn't stop pounding, and her stomach lurched with every change of scene. She didn't dare move, though.

"That's ridiculous!" Joshua scoffed as the female protagonist wandered into the demon girl's lair. "She has to know she'll appear. Is she testing her bravery, or something like that?"

"I don't think so, Joshua," Rhyme said softly. "But I must admit, people in horror movies are usually both very brave and very foolish."

"Those traits seem to go hand and hand, it seems."

Neku glanced at him.

"DAMN!" Beat cried, and Shiki jolted a little. Her spine tingled as the music built up, a heavy whispery noise that made her heart pound faster.

"What is it, Beat?" Rhyme asked, tilting her head up at her brother.

"She's gonna get killed! Man, I hate it when tha' happens."

"Not yet, Beat. I don't think the movie's quite over yet."

The music stopped, and Shiki sunk back into the corner of the couch. Neku spared her a glance as well, though he didn't seem to find much wrong with her being so frightened. It was a horror movie, after all. Everyone watched the screen, notably intrigued by what would inevitably happen next. Except maybe Joshua, who'd gotten bored, and was now checking his phone, sparing a glance or two at Neku.

The music rumbled into life again with a deafening screech, and Shiki screamed, her heart leaping, ripping itself out of her chest and leaving her breathless. She squeezed her eyes shut, her heart ramming against her rib cage with unsteady thumps pounding in her ears. The face was still engraved in her mind, and she couldn't breathe properly, or open her eyes.

"Shiki?"

She shook her head, unable to speak. Her mind was reeling with all the noises and images of the last hour of this stupid movie, and she was unsure about how to do anything except be incredibly frightened. She tried to breathe steadier, but she couldn't grasp the concept quite yet, so she sat in the darkness of her mind and waited for everything to go away.

And it did. A rush a music filled her ears, fresh and moving, and beat derived, flooding her burned up mind with a flush of coolness that made her shoulders slump, and her heartbeat slow. She opened her mouth a little, her lips moving slowly with the short drumming words that moved as one with the sharp melody and tune. She relaxed, her hands raising and brushing the edges of the headphones that covered her ears. The beat was sharp in her mind, and she opened her eyes, her fear evaporating. Her eyes landed on the screen first, but she found not a trace of her previous fear lying in her stomach. The main character was speaking, but her words were drowned by the thrumming beat.

She noticed that no one was looking at her, and she was grateful for that. But she turned her head, her hands still against the sides of the headphones, and she stared at Neku, who was watching the movie with a vacant expression. His headphones were missing from around his neck, making it look a little bare, especially with his signature large collar gone. Apparently he'd gotten coffee on it, or something like that. It would be cleaned later.

He glanced at her eventually after her stare continued. He tilted his head at her, his dark blue eyes glowing in the soft light emitting from the screen. His orange eyebrows furrowed, and he folded his arms across his chest. Shiki smiled at him, her stomach lurching again, as if she were still watching the movie.

"What?" he mouthed, or she assumed he mouthed. Her smile widened, and she scooted a little closer to him, letting her shoulder brush his.

"Thank you," she breathed, pulling her feet up onto the couch and resting her knees against her chest.

He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes widening momentarily. She caught his eyes, and he blinked quickly, before shrugging and pulling his attention back to the horror movie.

Shiki had tried to give the headphones back later that night when everyone else had left, but he wouldn't accept them.

"I have another pair at home," he said, waving her off. "Plus, come on, you know they're good for blocking out the world. Get scared again and you'll have them."

"Well, yeah, but, Neku…" Shiki sighed, fiddling with the squishy foam on the inside of the headphones. "Do you really think I'll ever get that scared again?"

"People get scared, Shiki." Neku tugging at the short collar of his shirt, and frowned, his habit killed. "Just keep them, okay? I won't take them."

"Oh, come on!"

"These things are cool, though," Neku said, smirking at her. He snatched them from her hands and slipped them over her head. They fell over her ears, still too large, but she was enveloped in silence. Neku's lips moved, but no sound reached through the thick padding. She pulled the headphones down, letting them fall against her neck.

"What?"

Neku shoved his hands into his pockets, a grin splitting his face, lighting it up like a lantern.

"Exactly," he chuckled, spinning on his heel.

Shiki gave a shout of surprise and she jumped forward. "Where are you going?" she gasped as he reached her door. He glanced back at her, his eyebrows raised, and his smiled gone.

"Home?"

"But what did you say?" Shiki shook her head. "I didn't hear you."

Neku snorted and turned around again, giving her a short wave goodbye as he opened her door. "Not my problem you can't read lips."

"Hey! Neku!"

He smiled at her again, a smaller one this time, before he pulled the door closed, and he was gone with a very soft _click. _

* * *

><p><strong>Um, five and a half years again, I believe. Probably around the same time as the second chapter. Maybe a little after.<strong>

**I just feel like if they watched a horror movie, Shiki'd get the most scared. And then Beat after her, probably. He he. ^o^**

**I like the end of this one a lot. **


	6. Lemon blossom

"So what is it exactly that you want, Joshua?" Rhyme asked as the last of her children scurried off with his mother.

Joshua frowned as he examined one of the children's finger paintings. "This is very nice," he said holding up the paper. It was a cluster of yellow flowers, slopped messily onto the paper, decorated with a green squiggle that could only be a stem. It actually was very nice, now that Rhyme looked at it clearly.

"Um," she said, staring at it blankly. "Yes, I suppose so."

He looked down at it, a smile appearing on his face. "They're celandines," he said, his smile turning into a grin. "You like them?"

"How do you know it's a… celandine?" she asked slowly, pulling the paper from out of his grasp and examining it. They just looked like little blobs of yellow paint to her, unfortunately.

"I know these things." Joshua shrugged and stood up. "A celandine means 'joy to come' in flower language, if you're wondering."

"I wasn't. But alright." Rhyme set the painting down on the table and looked up at him. "I would like to know why you're here, now, if that's alright?"

"Gosh!" Joshua pouted and folded his arms across his chest. "Rhyme, patience!"

"I'm being very patient, I think, considering the circumstances."

Joshua watched her, his purple eyes dancing curiously as he took in her appearance. She did not look very much like a twenty year old, but at least she didn't look like a boy now. Her hair was an inch or two past her shoulders, still a graceless mop of golden strands. She was still very slender, and sort of shapeless, which gave her the look of someone a few years younger than her.

"Alright," Joshua said, nodding. "Sit down."

Rhyme looked troubled momentarily before she sat down slowly on one of the tables, careful not to land on any paintings. She looked up at him expectantly.

"Well…" he said, glancing up at the ceiling. "How do I say this…"

Rhyme's eyebrows raised, and she folded her arms across her chest. "Is everything okay…?" she asked, staring up at him.

"No, actually." Joshua cupped his chin in his fingers and looked down at her. She looked confused, and a little irritated. "Alright, here's the thing. I want to tell you what I told Neku five years ago."

Rhyme blinked confusedly and leaned back, giving Joshua a look. "Wait," she said, shaking her head. "Okay, what?"

"I want to tell you what I told Neku five years ago," Joshua repeated, sighing in exasperation. "I know it's a bit sudden, and it might not make much sense, but once you hear it you'll understand."

She pushed her hair behind her ears and stood up. "Wait…" She looked up at him. "You mean… the thing you told Neku that made you…?"

"Yes, that would be the one."

Rhyme stared up at him, her eyes widening as fear hit her like a hammer to the chest, and she stepped back. She was suddenly startled. "Why?" she whispered. "Why tell me?"

"Ah," Joshua giggled, shaking his head. "Silly question. Your personality, I suppose. You obviously can stay calm in some tight situations… I mean, for the most part. I need someone like that for this kind of job."

"You want me to work for you?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't have some use for you, my dear."

Rhyme smiled up at Joshua and batted her eyelashes. "Oh? And I thought you actually cared enough to visit an old friend voluntarily."

"No need to be so snarky!" Joshua smirked, and his high pitched laugh rung in her ears as he stepped forward. "But I do truly want you to work for me. It's important."

"Hmm," Rhyme said, bringing her index finger to her lip and glancing up at the ceiling. "No."

"You won't even think about it?"

"I don't believe I have much to think about." Rhyme brushed past him and headed for the door, her fists clenched. Joshua smiled and grabbed her arm, making her halt.

"Rhyme, I believe you should listen to me."

She looked down at her arm and sighed. She straightened up as she turned to face him, frowning deeply. "Alright," she said, "look. I don't hate you. You should be thankful for that. But I am not willing to give up my life for you when I honestly know nothing about you, or what you want me to do! I will not die for you, Joshua."

"I know it's a lot to ask, but this is very important. I can't send just _any_ Reaper." He stared at her, his seriousness startling. "I need it to be you."

"Why? What's going on?" Rhyme tugged on her arm, letting him know her frustration as she stepped back and glared up at him.

"It's… a bit complicated." Joshua sighed, his grip tightening on her arm. She gritted her teeth and ceased struggling.

"Please let go of me."

"I can't. I need you to reconsider."

"No!" Rhyme pushed him with her free hand, and he stumbled backwards, blinking in surprise. "I don't want to die! Not again, Joshua, not so soon! Leave me alone!" She yanked her arm from his grasp and spun on her heel, marching from the room with her head bowed.

Joshua sighed and pulled out his phone. It was no longer the flip phone he'd so admired, but a smart phone, sleek and black. He picked up the painting of flowers again and examined it as he brought the phone closer to his lips.

"What do you think?" he asked, his eyes scanning the messy celandines. A voice came from his phone, a little staticy, but clear for the most part.

"_I think you should leave her alone_," the voice said, sounding a little sullen. "_She obviously doesn't like you all that much, and frankly, she's got the right idea_."

"Ah, but there you are wrong." Joshua smirked. "Dear Raimu Bito likes me just fine. I'm sure if these were normal circumstances, she and I could be friends again."

"_But these aren't normal circumstances, because you just asked her if you could kill her_." The voice sighed. "_Smooth, Josh. Real smooth_."

"Well, any suggestions?" Joshua set down the painting. "I'm not sure where to go from here. I have a feeling if I keep asking, she'll do something quite drastic."

"_Ugh_," the voice groaned. "_Are you seriously asking me how to go about murdering Rhyme_?"

"I'm not sure." Joshua grinned, walking toward a desk-like table much taller than the others. "I won't kill her unless she's absolutely sure she wants to do this. So it's not exactly murder."

"_Sick-o_."

"Suggestions, please." Joshua yawned, scooping up Rhyme's own phone from the desk. She was probably too furious to realize she'd forgotten it, and by the time she did realized it, it would probably be too late to go back. It was a perfect way to make sure he saw her again.

"_Jesus, Josh_!" the voice cried. "_I dunno! Try and actually be her friend before you suggest pulling the gun on her. Try and show her the less freaky Josh, and let her trust you more. Then let her decide_."

"Ah, but that takes so much time…" Joshua sighed, walking toward the door.

"_Deal with it, you asshole."_

* * *

><p><strong>Rhyme works at a daycarekindergarten. I had another chapter where he showed up in the classroom out of nowhere, but it wasn't long enough, and I don't feel like expanding on it.**

**I also wrote the next chapter before this one. Just a heads up.**

**Oh, wait, there's a name dropper in this chapter, isn't there? Ha ha! Weird! This is where I got the name from, but the yellow flowers first appear in a different place, which is how Joshua knows they're celandines. The finger painting also is not actually of celandines. Joshua was just trying to be smooth.**

**Alright, I should try and write more of this. We're still not close enough for me to put in the chapter that takes place... a while from now, that I showed you a bit of, Angie. :/**


	7. Cypress

"Let me talk to him!"

The boy's eyebrows raised, and he shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't," he said, watching her with a strange twinkle in his purple eyes.

They were standing in the middle of the cemetery, night creeping over Shibuya like a great black cat ready to swallow a canary. The sky was a rich, deep yellow, glowing softly like a beacon as a great swell of darkness approached. As the bluish black mass swept closer and closer, the brilliant yellow sky began to bleed red across the horizon. The canary's blood splashed, and sloshed against an ocean of salmon and baby blue, the color growing deeper and deeper, as if the wound simply could not stop. Crimson spilt along the color strewn sky, and the yellow and blue blended together. The blue would soon disappear completely, leaving the sky all like a bleeding canary again.

"Don't give me that crap," Shiki growled, her elegantly knotted bun falling apart as her face turned scarlet with fury. "I don't care. I honestly really don't. I need him to explain to me what's going on!"

"He can't," Joshua said slowly, his eyes rolling upward. He began to play with the pitiful makeshift bouquet of very small yellow flowers he'd picked probably picked just before coming to the grave. "Shiki, Shiki, don't you get it? He's not playing any game! He's dead. You can't talk to him, at least not yet."

"But you know where he is…" Shiki whispered. She squeezed the hem of her dress, tears burning her eyes. "Please tell me."

"No."

"Why?" Shiki gasped. "_Why_?"

"Shiki," Rhyme murmured, turning toward the duo for the first time since the argument had started. "Calm down."

Shiki glanced at Rhyme and took a deep breath. "Tell me," she repeated, her voice more commanding.

"Again, no."

"Then tell me why!" Shiki threw her hands on her head, her tears slipping, burning her already red face. "You killed him, didn't you? What's your reason this time? What game are you making him play?"

Joshua smirked, fueling the girl's rage. Rhyme looked away again. "I told you," he said, "he's not playing any game."

"So… you made him become a Reaper."

"Yes, I suppose. I mean, he won't be doing much Harrier work, but for the time being, yes." Joshua stuck his hands in his pockets and smirked. Rhyme looked up at Shiki, her eyes flitting between her and Joshua. The air around them was tart, and thick despite the cool temperature that nipped at their skin. The blood in the sky stretched farther, and father, reaching over their heads and seeping into the darkness that was creeping toward it.

"Joshua," Rhyme murmured, placing her hand on Shiki's arm as her shoulders trembled with her fury. "Just tell us why you killed Neku. We just want to understand."

Joshua laughed, and leaned back. Rhyme scowled at him with her eyes narrowed. Why was he being so difficult? His eyes flickered to her, and he grinned, flicking his ashen tinted hair from his face. "Gosh!" he giggled, raising his chin high. "I wish I could explain, but that's the trouble… you can't know. That's why I had to kill Neku."

Shiki blinked, her tears fading as her eyelashes beat them off. "What…?" she gasped, her face stinging from the warmth of the tear tracks in the cold.

Rhyme's eyes widened, and she pushed her hair back from her face, the stiff blonde curls scratching her ear. "You told him… what you're not telling us…" she said slowly, "and then… you killed him for knowing?"

"Precisely."

"_What_?" Shiki exclaimed, moving forward until she was very close to Joshua. Rhyme moved back, her eyes widening as the girl raised her hand and struck the boy across the face.

"Shiki!"

"You killed him for knowing something you told him?" she screeched, her hand feeling numb. "That's the most ridiculous…!"

"Well, if you knew what it was, you'd certainly understand. Maybe I'll tell you someday." His eyes moved to Rhyme, who was staring in utter shock, her mouth agape.

"Why would we want to know something that would get us killed?" Rhyme asked, her eyes narrowing again. She pulled her coat around her and shook her head. "We're not idiots, Joshua."

"Oh, no!" he giggled, clasping a bit of his hair in his hand as he cocked his head. "Of course not. I'm just very sure you'll want to know. Sometime in the future you'll be begging me to tell you."

"I doubt it," Rhyme said icily, grasping Shiki's hand and pulling her back. She didn't budge.

"I hate you," Shiki spat, her brown eyes glittering with tears. "Don't talk to us ever again, Joshua, or you'll regret it."

"Hate? Such a strong word!"

"She's serious," Rhyme said, breathing in deeply, the smell of autumn stinging her nose. "And so am I. If you won't give us Neku back, don't bother talking to us again."

Joshua smiled. He stepped back and dipped his head, raising his hand over his head as if he were tipping a hat to them. "So be it," he grinned. "I'll see you again, though. Whether you like it or not. I'm here forever, if I please. And so, if I please, I can see you. Even if you don't see me." His grin widened, his teeth baring in an almost vicious manner. "_Adieu,_ ladies."

Rhyme swallowed hard as he spun around, dropping the cluster of yellow flowers onto Neku's grave, stepping on the newly packed dirt as he strode away with his hands in his pockets.

Once gone, Rhyme slumped against Shiki, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "I can't believe this is happening…" she whispered. "I never thought Joshua would go this far…"

Shiki stared at the ground, the last rays of sunlight for the day glaring off her glasses, shielding her eyes from view. "I think…" she said softly. "I think I'm going to take up that design thing with Eri in America."

* * *

><p><strong>Past shit. Obviously. So, now you know where Shiki and Eri are. They're eighteen here, I think.<strong>

**So, now it is confirmed that Neku is dead. Blah. Sucky, huh?**

**This is the last time Rhyme sees Joshua until the events in chapter five. **

**Yeah.**


	8. Balsamine

Rhyme stared blankly at her phone as it was slid onto the counter in front of her. She said nothing as she looked up sharply, her jaw clenched as she sat up straight, spinning her chair a little so she could face the boy who had slipped onto the barstool next to her. Her eyes narrowed, and she glanced down at her phone, picking it up and weighing it her hand for a moment, testing it.

"Thank you," she said, tucking it into her pocket it. "But I'm not really in the mood to talk to you right now." She fished out some change from her aforementioned pocket and placed it beside her drink, jumping off her stool and moving to flee the restaurant.

"Wait." Joshua's hand flew out, grabbing her arm as she passed. She halted, though her head snapped back in his direction, her blond hair whipping around her head. She gave him a hard, incredibly irritated look, that suggested she had no desire whatsoever to have to be in the ashen haired boy's presence. Joshua planned to fix that. "Alright, let us be fair, hmm? I deserve all of your anger."

Rhyme tugged on her arm. "You did this before," she said through gritted teeth. "Let go of me."

"Ah," Joshua giggled. "No. No, I will not. You see, I simply want to talk to you. No offers this time. Just chat."

"And I simply want to leave." Rhyme continued to struggled, her fists clenched, and her lips twisted into a grimace. "Like I said, I appreciate you bringing me my phone, but that's not enough." She tugged hard on her arm, bringing Joshua to his feet. "I told you once, Joshua. Leave me alone!"

And she instantly regretted those words, for a bartender was passing by them, and from behind the countertop witnessed the struggle. "Hey, hey," the bartender yelped, raising his hand, his eyes flickering between the duo. "Miss, this guy isn't harassing you, is he?"

"Um," Rhyme said, flushing red as she ceased her tugging. She glanced at Joshua, who was staring at her, his expression unreadable. She looked back at the bartender and shook her head. "No, sorry. We were just arguing."

The bartender blinked at her slowly before his eyes flitted down to her arm, which Joshua was still clasping tight. "Looks like a little more than just an argument." The man's eyes narrowed at Joshua, who stared back, unfazed.

"If you are referring to my keeping her from leaving, I honestly do not think it's any of your business, sir," Joshua's amethyst eyes twinkled at the bartender. Rhyme sighed and shook her head.

"Look," the bartender said, placing his hand on the countertop. "If the lady wants to leave, she can leave. Let her go."

Rhyme looked down at Joshua, who looked quite irritated, his eyebrows furrowed, and for a moment his hand tightened around her arm. Rhyme's eyes widened and she stepped back, wary of the boy. But after his momentary aggravation settled, he let his hand slip down to his side. Rhyme stood there for a moment, staring at him with wide eyes. The bartender seemed satisfied, so he smiled, and nodded.

"There we go," he said, scooping up the money Rhyme had left near her drink. "Goodnight, miss."

Rhyme's eyes flickered up to him. She nodded, and smiled a little. "Right. Goodnight, Ryuu." She then turned, walking slowly to the exit. Joshua watched her, his eyes rolling as she left. He couldn't help thinking he was doing this whole thing all wrong, but how was he supposed to act? The girl was mad. Okay, how was he supposed to deal with that? She seemed to be holding a major grudge against him, and that hurt. He was only trying to be nice! Albeit, it was for his own personal gain, but still!

Joshua moved to get up, but the bartender, Ryuu, was still watching him.

"Best not follow her," the man said with a chuckle as he took Rhyme's glass away.

Joshua glanced back at the man, his eyebrows raising. He cocked his head to the side and smirked. "Ah," he said, "let me guess. You help people who come in here with their problems, right? Like the good bartender you are."

"Actually," the man said as he dumped the glass out in a sink behind the bar. "It kind of just comes with the job. People usually automatically pour their hearts out once they get drunk enough." The man shrugged, running the glass through with water and drying it slowly with a towel. "I just listen."

"And Rhyme pours her heart out over drinks whenever she comes here?" Joshua's eyebrows rose, and he giggled at the mental image.

Surprisingly, the bartender laughed. "Oh, no," the man said, shaking his head. "Rhyme doesn't drink. I don't know why." Ryuu shrugged, resting the glass down. "So, I don't usually ask unless called upon, but what was that with you and her?" The man's eyes narrowed. "She didn't look too happy."

Joshua glanced around. It seemed as if he was the only one at the bar, which was incredibly unfortunate, because now he actually had to talk with this man. The ashen haired boy tapped a finger to his lips, glancing up at the ceiling. "Well," he said thoughtfully, figuring this was one of his few chances to do something relatively 'normal', "it's a very long story, but I suppose it involves dear little Rhyme being incredibly infuriated with me at the current moment because I said something terribly, terribly wrong to her."

Ryuu blinked and leaned back. "Ah," he said, nodding. "Yeah, I get it. She didn't strike me as one to hold a grudge, though. You must have really upset her."

"I suppose so." Joshua leaned on his hand, glancing at the door. "I'm not exactly… hmm, how shall I put this? I'm not really very _good_ at this type of thing."

The bartender laughed and shook his head. "Handling relationships?" he asked, his eyebrows raising.

Joshua looked back at the man, his jaw moving a little as he thought about all of it. He was talking to a bartender about his problems. This was something he could tell Neku to get him less grumpy.

"No," Joshua said slowly, finding his words to become more of a revelation as he spoke them, "handling people."

* * *

><p><strong>Oops, this chapter and the next chapter basically go hand and hand. Non-linear, as usual, but they both basically compliment the last 'present' chapter. This one happens... hmm, I don't know, maybe that night, or more likely the night after? The next chapter happens directly after the other one. <strong>

**Ryuu might be random. He might not be. I don't know, I haven't given too much thought to his character yet. All I know is that Rhyme goes to this bar a lot when she's bored, and when she doesn't feel up to going to WildKat. There's nothing really significant about these two chapters, but I feel like I needed to put them up? Even fillers have to make their way into a story like this, I guess.**


	9. Hollyhock

Rhyme sat on one of the tables in WildKat, swinging her feet slowly back and forth as Mr. Hanekoma took care of a customer. WildKat was a lot busier than it used to be, she noticed, and she wondered when people had finally noticed there was a pretty sweet café down on Cat Street worth going to. Usually it was dead, and that was why it was like the second hang out for the gang back in the day. Now she just met up with Beat there after work.

"Hey, little skulls," Mr. H said, nodding to her. She stopped swinging her legs and looked at him as he handed change back to a brunette lady who took it graciously and walked to the door, coffee in hand. "Do you want anything? You've been sitting there for awhile."

This was true. Rhyme had been waiting for around half an hour for Beat to show up, and she was debating calling him. But she figured he had been held up somewhere along the line, so she didn't fret. However, she realized it wasn't really polite to just be sitting on the table when she kind of… was loitering.

She hopped off and nodded, walking to the counter and smiling at him. "Um, yes, actually," she said tapping her thumbs against the countertop. "Can you make me a French Vanilla cappuccino, Mr. H?"

"You know it." He grinned and turned toward the coffee machine, and Rhyme turned slowly around. Her eyes fell on the dreadfully old and rather beaten up juke box that was sitting all alone in the corner. She glanced at Mr. Hanekoma, wondering if he was aware that it was kind of ugly and bulky compared to the rest of the shop, and it really didn't fit in well at all. She remembered that he had gotten it at a yard sale somewhere, and it didn't even work. But it'd been there for at least six years.

"Hey," she said slowly, "Mr. H, why do you keep that thing around?"

"Huh?" The man turned around, and she looked at him, leaning her back against the counter. She pointed to the juke box, and he blinked from behind his sunglasses. He then barked a laugh, a short, sharp one that startled Rhyme, and she stared at him blankly for a long moment. "Oh, man, the juke? I love it, that's why!"

"Really?" She cocked her head back, her fringe falling out of her eyes, and her eyebrows furrowing. "Why?"

"I have to have a reason for loving a piece of crappy history?"

"Well, no." Rhyme bit the inside of her cheek and turned around to face him, shrugging. "It's just that… I don't know, it's just really odd, you know? To waste space on a juke box that doesn't work."

"Ha!" He barked again, and Rhyme jumped back. "Oh, man, I forgot! You haven't been here in forever. Here." He stopped fiddling with the coffee maker and reached into his tip cup, tossing a shiny coin at her. She caught it, rolling it in her palm for a moment before she glanced back up at him.

"Oh, wow!" she gasped, jumping forward and grinning up at him. "You got it to work?"

"Oh hell yes, I did, bitty skulls!" He gave her a hard pat on the head, which felt more like a smack. "And it's a marvelous piece of shit, I'm telling you."

"I won't doubt it again," she snickered, spinning on her heel and rushing to the corner, weaving around tables and ignoring the odd stares she was getting from the two teenagers sitting by the window. She reached the juke box, which was as old and worn up close as she remembered. The paint was chipped around the rim, and the bright red color was incredibly faded. There were nicked all along the exterior, and prominent scratches were visible. It was pretty ugly.

Rhyme rolled the coin and her palm again, peering into the little glass to stare at the yellowed and slightly torn pages of songs within the juke. She was vaguely familiar with some of them, but others were lost on her knowledge of pre-new millennium music. She felt really young all of a sudden, and she scolded herself for not being more educated on the songs of the previous generation. She ended up picking one song that was probably American from the blatant English title. It was called '_Knock Three Times_', and it was by two people she had never heard of.

She went to slide the coin into the little slot, but as she inserted it, she let go to fast, and it went rolling onto the floor. She yelped, and bent to pick it up, but it was rolling as she nudged it with her foot, and it went skidding under the juke. She hissed softly to herself as she bent onto her knees, hoping that the coin hadn't gone too far into the abyss that was the underside of the juke. She bent her head low, the scent of the floor wafting into her nose, and she wrinkled it. Bleach, unsurprisingly. At least she knew it was clean. Rhyme blinked into the darkness, and smiled to herself as she spotted the coin close to the light. She reached forward to scoop it up, but her fingers brushed against something else. She blinked slowly, her fingers tightening around it as she pulled it from underneath the juke and stared at it for a moment.

It was covered in dust bunnies, but it was quite obvious what it was. It was tiny, and black, like a long shiny bug. There was a band of gray around it, and Rhyme had to assume it had once been white. It was pretty much what she thought it was, though she was surprised to find it under the juke. Who'd drop something like this?

She considered tossing it back under. She had no use for someone else's USB drive, of course. But she was incredibly curious, and her curiosity always did get the better of her. She turned it over slowly in her palm, and her eyes widened.

Scrawled across the front of the USB drive, on a piece of duct tape that wound all the way around the device, was a small printed message in a curly, familiar script.

_Manhattan, New York_

_June 6__th__- June 12__th_

_2010_

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at it, feeling a little bit of nausea creep into her stomach at the thought of this thing being Joshua's. But it couldn't be. He wasn't so careless as to leave it lying underneath the stupid juke box. But… she knew it was his handwriting. It was too swirly and perfect to be anyone else's. And then there was the date! The summer five years ago. It couldn't be a coincidence that it just happened to be that year, the year everything went wrong.

"Hey, kid." Rhyme jumped to her feet, sticking the flash drive into her pocket as she used her other hand to brush her hair back from her face. Mr. Hanekoma was staring at her, worry evident in his eyes. His sunglasses were pushed down to the tip of his nose to emphasize this. "You okay? You seem kind of… ah, I don't know, depressed? Dazed?"

"I'm fine," she blurted, her eyes widening a little. He extended his arm, coffee in hand, and she took it graciously. "Sorry, Mr. H. I've just been… um, really confused lately."

"Not to worry," he said, clapping her on the shoulder. "I just don't want you to get too messed up, kay? You're basically the only sane person I know right now, and hell if I screw that up."

"Beat's pretty sane," Rhyme pointed out, taking a tentative sip of her coffee. She winced and set it down on the table beside her, her tongue searing.

"Skulls? Nah, he's more like… crazy-sane. Kid, I'm serious, I don't know how you wound up with such a bunch of misfits. You are blessed with suck, dare I say."

"Jeez," she said with a laugh. "It's not that bad!"

Mr. Hanekoma smiled at her and shook his head, turning around and walking toward the counter. She blinked after him, her mind slowly straying back to the USB drive. She would have to check it. She had to, or else it'd eat her up inside knowing that there was information on there, from Joshua, about that year. Maybe it could give her a clue on why the boy did what he did, or, maybe, it would do nothing but confuse her. It was worth a shot though.

Mr. Hanekoma leaned against the counter and watched her as she sat down, on a chair this time, and began to drink her coffee in silence. She was staring up at the ceiling, in a sudden daze, and it was obvious she was completely off earth now, her mind roaming the clouds and dreaming up something odd and complex.

Soon the door burst open, and the bell chimed, and Mr. H smiled to himself as Beat shouted at the top of his lungs, "YO, RHYME, DID YA GET MY TEXT?"

And Rhyme, jolted from her reverie, looked up suddenly, mildly confused and full of shock. "What?" she gasped, rising slowly to her feet.

Beat ran up to her, his face split into a wide grin, and jumped up and down, grabbing her hands. "I totally did i', Rhyme! I go' the job! I GOT THE JOB!"

"Are you serious?" she gasped, her own face growing into a grin. "Oh my gosh. Oh my god, Beat, that's amazing!"

"Yeah, man!" He ruffled her hair and squeezed her tightly, his laugh booming through the café. "I can finally buy a second bed!"

"Oh, good," Rhyme said with a short laugh. "That's a relief."

"Yeah, you still get the bedroom, though."

"Beat…"

"I sen' you like… like twenty messages, or somethin' though, Rhyme, didn' you get 'em?"

"What?" She reached into her pocket, the one not occupied by the USB drive, and she came up with nothing but the money she had brought with her to work that morning. Her eyes widened.

"_Cazzo stai scherzando_?" she hissed under her breath.

* * *

><p><strong>Good lord, Fanfiction HATES ME WHEN I EDIT SHIT. WHAT THE FUCK.<strong>

**Enjoy the gratuitous Italian, babes. If you don't know what that means, I'm sure you've already looked it up. I already knew what cazzo meant, so the rest was pretty much cake. Actually, no, I didn't know how to spell cazzo, so I had to look it up. I only knew how to pronounce it. =P It's what I get from living in a house with an Italian father who thinks that we won't pick up what words mean after a while of him saying them.**

**Okay, that's it, enjoy the chapter.**


	10. Eglantine Rose

Rhyme looked up as he sat down beside her, looking thoughtful as he leaned forward, cupping his chin in his hand. "What did I miss?" he asked, glancing at her, his violet eyes sparkling with curiosity. She stared at him, her eyes growing wide, and she jumped to her feet. Beat and Neku ceased their chatting about… well, Rhyme wasn't really sure, she hadn't been listening, and they looked up at her.

"Rhyme?" Beat asked, his eyebrows raising. Neku cocked his head to the side, and his eyes flashed fast to Joshua, narrowing a little. Joshua simply smirked back at him, giving him a little wink as Rhyme's hands closed into fists.

"I'm going to get a drink," Rhyme said sharply, without looking at Joshua, or Neku, or Beat. Her head was high, and her jaw was set tightly. "And to change my bandage."

"Oh…" Beat said slowly, as Rhyme moved quickly to avoid getting in the way of the people who were sitting behind her. The fashion show had gotten a rather surprising amount of people, and Rhyme was glad to see it. Though Shiki and Eri weren't the only ones participating, it was nice to see they were getting some publicity. "I'll go with ya, then!"

"No thank you," Rhyme said quietly, placing a hand on Beat's chest as he tried to barrel past Joshua, who had to pull his legs up onto his chair so the boy didn't crush his feet. She pushed him back a little, watching as he backed up obediently, his eyes wide. "I don't want to intrude. You guys were having a conversation before, right?" She gave him a big smile, her head tilting to the side as her eyes widened.

"Bu'…" Beat gasped, and the people behind then began to complain and groan amongst themselves. Beat needed to sit his butt down. "Rhyme, are ya sure? 'Cause, like, that bandage thing? It takes more than one person, yo."

"I can handle—"

"I'll help her," Joshua chirped, jumping to his feet. Rhyme felt her entire façade slip through her fingers, and she stared at him, her lips tight.

"No," she said, backing out of the isle. "I'm completely fine."

"I insist." Joshua shook his head, following her. "Go back to chatting, my children, I can take care of the poor wounded girl."

"Uh, no," Beat growled, preparing himself to charge at Joshua. "Touch her and I'll pumble ya, ya little shit." Neku managed to catch his shirt just in time, rising slowly to his feet. "Whoa there, cowboy. Keep it PG."

"Pummel, Beat," Rhyme corrected through gritted teeth. "And he's right, Joshua. Sit down."

"Did you just say cowboy?" Joshua asked with a grin, jerking his head at Neku. His giggle was grating to Rhyme, and she backed up slowly, realizing they were getting some stares. "Cute, Neku. Very cute."

"So you decided to show, asshole?" Neku asked with a snort, peering over Beat's arm. "Nice. Rhyme doesn't seem to approve of your lateness though. Maybe you should sit your ass down."

"Hmm? Look who's talking, dearie."

"Dearie?" Neku echoed, plopping back into his seat. "Whatever, you crazy bastard."

There was a shooshing noise from the row behind them, and Rhyme took another step back. Joshua glanced back at her, his grin sliding into a frown. "I won't hurt her," Joshua said, folding his arms across his chest and looking up at Beat. "Is it a crime that I want to help?"

"You…" Rhyme hissed, biting her tongue to keep herself from saying something she'd regret. She didn't want to give Joshua the satisfaction of seeing her so distraught.

"Nuh uh, prissy boy," Beat snarled, stomping forward, earning the frightened looks from many people around him. Rhyme's eyes widened. "I'mma teach ya not to mess with Rhyme, yo."

"Beat, sit down!" Rhyme cried, taking herself aback. She stared at him, and he stared at her. They shared a look of utter shock, their faces mirroring each other. He was hurt, and she knew this, because as he stumbled backwards and fell onto his chair, nearly toppling it over as he did so, his eyes were darting everywhere except for her face. She felt her heart sink as Neku's face appeared behind Beat's, his eyebrows furrowed, and his head shaking. Rhyme read what he was trying to say very clearly.

_What the fuck was that?_

"Fine," Rhyme said finally, ignoring the glances of people around her as she turned away and marched down the steps. "Do whatever you want, Joshua."

He followed behind her, at an irritatingly close distance, and she ignored him. She didn't want to speak to him. She didn't want to look at him. But she couldn't bear to stay with Beat. She'd been too awful. She usually had so much patience to spare. What happened to that? Maybe it was just Joshua. Maybe she had trouble keeping up her patience when she was around. She really didn't know.

"Ignoring me helps no one, you know."

"I really don't want to talk to you," she growled, picking up her pace as she neared the snack stand. Her bandage was becoming incredibly uncomfortable. She knew she was going to have trouble explaining the cut to her parents. Beat had been easy to convince, though she knew Neku didn't buy her story of tripping and slicing her arm on some broken pipe near A-East. If she knew him, he'd call Joshua out on it the first chance he got.

"All of this over a little cut?" Joshua asked with a pout, stepping up beside Rhyme. "Does it really hurt that much?"

Rhyme wanted to shout at him, to give him a tongue lashing about the real reason behind her bitterness, but she didn't. She smiled at the young woman working the stand, pulling out some coins from her pocket and setting them on the table. The woman smiled back, and Rhyme gave her her request, a can of soda, and the woman nodded, bending backwards and scooping one out of an ice cooler.

"You know why I'm angry," she said, giving him a look as she grabbed her soda can and brushed past him. "I don't want to talk about it, either."

"You don't want to know why?"

"No, I'm done asking." Rhyme stepped carefully up onto a little wall, and pulling from her sweater pocket a roll of bandages Beat had quickly grabbed from a nearby drugstore when she'd showed up bleeding rather profusely from the arm. When they'd cleaned it up, it was only a cut, but it still bled like she'd been slashed with a knife. "I've learned my lesson."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, pushing himself up onto the wall, his satisfaction making her want to push him off the ledge. "You're better off not knowing anyway."

Rhyme glanced away, feeling incredibly dejected. She unzipped her sweater and tossed it aside, wrinkling her nose when she caught sight of the bloody tear at its sleeve. The boy had already grabbed her arm, and was working to pry her bandages off while she found herself staring off into space. She was thinking about it. What had happened earlier, and it frightened her. So she turned her head to stare down at Joshua, who was trying and failing to unknot Beat's handiwork. He look a little irritated.

"You might want to cut it with something," Rhyme said with a sigh. He glanced up at her, his eyes glowing amethyst against the streetlamp, and she felt herself lean back a little, her own eyes widening at the strange sight. She couldn't help but stare at them. It was possible that the idea of having purple eyes was so magical, she just couldn't stop staring.

"Hold," Joshua said, jerking the tight piece of bandage up for Rhyme to keep in the air so it'd be easier to cut. Rhyme let her fingers lock slowly around it, and she broke her eye contact with him.

"I'm not even going to pretend to be surprised that you have a knife with you." She sighed as he pushed her fingers away rather harshly, as if he wanted to slap them, but he was trying to be gentle about it, and he took a pocketknife and slid the sharp edge under the bandage. He gripped her arm tightly as he angled the knife away from his face and pulled. The bandage snapped, and Rhyme hissed through her teeth as pain shot down her arm.

"I warned you, you know," he said quietly as he carefully untied the bloody bandage. She took a deep breath, nodding a little as she glanced back down at him.

"Yeah, I know," she murmured, wincing as he pulled the bandage off her wound, cool autumn air stinging the still fresh cut. There was blood caked all around her upper arm, and Joshua made a face. Rhyme noticed it, and she grinned.

"Does blood freak out the big bad Composer?" she teased, seizing the clean bandages with her good arm and unrolling a bit of it. Joshua blinked up at her face and smirked.

"I was concerned about the amount of blood loss I've caused you," he said softly, taking the wad of bandages from her and cutting a bit off. He snatched her arm and began to rub away the blood from her skin, the bandage brushing against the open wound. She yelped in pain, flinching away from him. "My brief flicker of real human emotion has passed."

"I can tell," she hissed through gritted teeth. He giggled again, and Rhyme sighed, turning to face him. "So, I know this is basically all my fault."

"Yes, you were quite dumb. I was disappointed. Even your instincts told you to leave it be, but you chose to be stubborn. A Bito trait, I suppose?"

"Maybe," she said, staring down at him as he cautiously rubbed the blood from her flesh, careful not to brush her cut again. Why was he being so meticulous about it? "Or maybe it's just my morals. I… couldn't leave you with what you were doing. I either wanted to know why, or to stop you."

"Hmm," he said, setting aside the bloody bandages and looking up at her, his smirk returning. "And how did that work out for you?"

"You're tending to the aftermath, I suppose," she sighed, leaning her head back. She swung her legs back and forth as Joshua placed his hand over her cut. Rhyme looked at him sharply, her eyes widening, and she moved to jerk her arm away.

"Calm down," he hushed, as his hand began to glow a little, a soft incandescent light glimmering beneath his palm. Rhyme felt all of her previous fear and rage wash away, and she gaped at him, her eyes growing wider and wider. Her shoulders slumped, and she felt herself relax a little, though her shock had yet to wear off. A soft, warm feeling came over her, and she swallowed hard, something like fear knotting in her stomach.

"What…" she gasped as he let his hand drop, and she peered down at her arm. The cut was, as expected, completely gone. No scar, nothing. She looked back up at him, shaking her head fast. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I'm a _kind_ and _compassionate_ person, Raimu Bito," he grinned, jumping off the wall and winking at the orange haired boy who was watching from afar. The gesture that returned to him was not quite as friendly. Joshua laughed to himself and spun on his heel, doing a little bow and extending his hand up toward her. Rhyme stared at him, debating whether or not she wanted to forgive him for his previous behavior. Of course, he'd just healed her. She felt like all of the evidence that backed up her rage had been wiped away. So she managed a little smile, giving him a nod of acknowledgement, and reaching down to press his palm against his.

She jumped down, grasping his hand and stumbling to a halt, smiling at him. She needed him to know that she was grateful. "You shouldn't have done it," she said quietly, her smile still carefully in place. "But thank you, Joshua."

"You know," he said, his head cocking to the side as he let go of her hand and stepped back. "You don't have to thank me. I hurt you, so it's only polite that I took it back."

"I don't care." Rhyme shook her head and stuck her hands in her pockets. "Thank you. I didn't expect it from you, and I think I misjudged you."

"Well that's good to hear," Joshua laughed, his high pitched giggle floating in the air, and Rhyme sighed. "I mean, I was sure I wrecked your good image of me earlier, but I'm very glad to know this is untrue."

"No, I'm still mad at you for doing that," Rhyme said, pursing her lips. "Not hurting me, what you did to—" Rhyme stopped herself and glanced around. She knew that she couldn't talk about this here. "For what you were doing before that."

"Well that's something I can live with," Joshua smirked as Rhyme brushed past him, tossing her dirty bandages into a garbage bin. "Oh, and Rhyme, before you go rejoin the misfit parade, do you mind taking something?"

Rhyme spun around, her cropped blonde hair spinning around her head as she blinked slowly. "What?" she asked flatly as he stepped forward and grabbed her arm, shoving something into her palm. "Whoa, what are you doing?"

"Well, it is your birthday soon, is it not?" Joshua asked as he patted her on the head and stepped away. She blinked and stared down at her palm.

"Um," she said quietly, confusion taking over her mind. She closed her fingers around the necklace and nodded slowly. "Yeah, in about two weeks, though. Why are you giving me this now?"

"Rhyme," Joshua said, giving her a look that made her feel like her intelligence was lacking. "I have more important things to do than to attend such a morbid event."

"_Morbid_," Rhyme repeated incredulously, ignoring how rude his reply was. "How on earth are birthdays morbid? They celebrate _life_."

"That's one way of looking at it." Joshua shrugged and turned around, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as she slowly clipped the chain around her neck, examining the key that hung from it with dull interest. "Personally, I think birthdays are just like numbers on a clock counting down the years until you die."

"Okay," Rhyme said slowly, dropping the key and stepping in time with him as he walked up the stairwell. "That _is_ morbid. But you don't have to worry about that, right?"

"No, actually!" He flashed a grin, and stopped. Rhyme paused and looked back at him, her pale eyebrows furrowing. "But you do."

At this Rhyme's eyes widened a little, and she frowned deeply. "Is that a threat, Joshua?"

"It's nothing but a fact, really," he giggled, stepping forward again so he was directly beside her. "You're going to die."

* * *

><p><em>Ha ha ha, Angie. Here is a small fact. <strong>You are going to die.<strong>_

_And thus Dani realized this story is either going to end up never being finished, or taking FOREVER to finish. I think I'm just writing it for the lawls now, you know? It's a fun distraction from White Knight._

_This obviously takes place in the past, since Neku's in it. A few weeks before his funeral, I think? I don't remember what chapter that was. I decided to make it Rhyme's birthday around this time for convenience. _

_Also, I have a thing with keys. =/ Keys and watches, seriously, I'm a freak._


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